Are you having issues with your pelvic floor? It’s more common than you think. One in 3 women will experience a pelvic floor disorder at some point in their lives. The pelvic floor is made up of a group of muscles that help control and support the bladder, bowel and reproductive organs. A pelvic floor disorder occurs when the pelvic muscles weaken or if there is a tear in the connective tissue. This can cause a number of issues, including pain, incontinence and even pelvic organ prolapse.
Many women suffer in silence with a pelvic floor disorder, but you don’t have to. There are more options than living with pelvic pain or getting invasive surgery to fix the issue. Our physical therapists are trained in pelvic floor health and offer women’s health physical therapy (WHPT) specifically with the goal of strengthening those muscles and addressing your pelvic floor issues so you can live a healthier life.
The benefits of focusing on WHPT
Pelvic floor issues can be the root cause of a lot of issues in the pelvic area. The sooner you address those issues, the sooner you can begin strengthening and healing those muscles. Here are a few benefits to getting women’s health physical therapy:
- Increase pelvic floor muscle strength — Weak muscles in the pelvic floor are the root cause of many different pelvic floor disorders. Focused physical therapy treatments can help you strengthen those weak muscles, which will benefit your overall pelvic floor health.
- Reduce pain caused by a pelvic floor disorder — Pelvic floor issues can cause pain in the lower back, pelvic region, genitals and rectum, as well as during sex. Pelvic floor physical therapy can get to the root of that pain and help you reduce it.
- Decrease recovery times after pregnancy — Pregnancy causes many changes in the human body, some of which can displace or put stress on the pelvic floor muscles. Physical therapy can help prevent serious pelvic health issues and address any problems postpartum, which can help you recover faster.
- Reduce fecal & urinary incontinence — If you have weak pelvic floor muscles, you’re more likely to have issues with fecal or urinary incontinence. Physical therapy focusing on your pelvic health can help you strengthen the muscles in and around your bladder and rectum to help give you back control of your life.
- Reduce the possibility of a pelvic organ prolapse — A pelvic organ prolapse is a serious condition where the pelvic organs drop due to a lack of support of the vagina, often caused by pregnancy or childbirth. Strengthening the pelvic muscles before you get pregnant or give birth can help reduce the chances of a pelvic organ prolapse.
Pelvic health is a serious concern and should be a priority in your overall health. Our physical therapists will evaluate your symptoms to determine the root cause of your issues and develop a plan to help you address them. With physical therapy focused on pelvic health, you can reduce or prevent many issues related to a pelvic floor disorder.
Common women’s health issues that WHPT can address
A healthy pelvic floor can prevent or reduce the possibility of many different issues that affect women’s health. Women’s health physical therapy can directly address many of these conditions. Here are some common issues that women with pelvic health disorders may suffer from:
- Issues during pregnancy and postpartum — Around 50% of women experience pelvic floor disorders before childbirth. Pregnancy causes you to gain weight, which increases pressure and strain on the pelvic floor muscles. Physical and hormonal changes during pregnancy can weaken the pelvic floor and cause issues during and after pregnancy.
- Issues during menopause — When your body transitions into menopause, it begins to produce less estrogen. This can weaken the pelvic floor muscles and cause changes in bladder and bowel health. Additionally, as you age, you tend to lose muscle mass, which can also affect the pelvic floor.
- Urinary issues — Bladder control problems include a number of issues, such as:
- The inability to hold urine long enough to reach the restroom.
- Frequent urination during the day and night.
- Urine leakage caused by increased abdominal pressure.
Urgency frequency and urge incontinence issues may also be defined as an overactive bladder and can be caused by issues with your pelvic health.
- Bowel control issues — Bowel control problems include the loss of normal control of the bowels, which can lead to constipation or fecal incontinence. You may also experience the leakage of solid or liquid stool or gas, which is also called anal incontinence or accidental bowel leakage. Pelvic floor issues can cause bowel control issues.
- Pelvic organ prolapse — Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the bladder, urethra, cervix and/or rectum drop. This is caused by a lack of normal support of the vagina due to pelvic muscle weakness and can occur during pregnancy or childbirth. In severe cases, you may also feel tissue bulging or protruding through the opening of the vagina.
These issues are serious and can be painful. They can also make it more difficult for you to live an active life and do the things you love. But you don’t have to be limited by your pelvic floor disorder. WHPT can get your pelvic health back to where it should be.
Our physical therapists at REPAIR SI want to help you work toward better pelvic health with less pain. Specially trained in women’s health, our WHPT experts can develop a treatment plan to help treat your pelvic floor disorder. If you’re not willing to live with pelvic pain anymore, contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.